City of Lights trades fuel trucks for electric models

Last year was the year of the Segway in Aurora and as the city continues to push its eco-friendly initiatives, 2009 is shaping up to be quite a GEM as well.

The city's parks and recreation department has purchased two Global Electric Motorcars, or GEMs, from Chrysler to begin replacing some of the gas-powered utility carts used for park maintenance.

Parks Director Jim Pilmer said he first saw the bubble-shaped electric cars being used on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., by National Parks employees. Since then, he said, Chicago has put 250 of the same carts into service.

According to Chrysler, the cars can work in nearly any environment, including indoors, because they emit no tailpipe emissions. The vehicles feature six 12-volt flooded electrolyte batteries for a range of up to 30 miles on a charge and a 70-by-48-inch flat bed with a 700-pound cargo capacity.

City officials estimate the $9,000 vehicles cost about 2 cents a mile to operate.

"That's perfect for the constant maintenance required at McCarty Park," Pilmer said. 'We're always there for operational purposes and getting there ties up a large truck, a trailer and a golf cart that also uses gas. Now we can keep the electric vehicle there, cutting gas use and freeing up the truck for larger jobs."

The second car is being put to use in Phillips Park Zoo where Pilmer said Director Randy Johnson "lived in a 15-mile-per-gallon gas-guzzling cart."

"The zoo gets 230,000 visitors a year so people are going to see these little things moving around," Pilmer said. "That's good for some community awareness to let folks know we're cutting back on gas and energy consumption for the environment."

If the department sees considerable savings and effectiveness with the electric models, Pilmer said the next one would be placed at 325-acre Phillips Park to replace an older model cargo van used by custodians.